DC’s ‘Superman’ Soars at Box Office, Igniting Heated ‘Woke’ Debates Among Political Commentators
DC’s ‘Superman’ Soars at Box Office, Igniting Heated ‘Woke’ Debates Among Political Commentators
The new DC blockbuster ‘Superman’ has not only made a significant splash at the box office, raking in over $217 million globally in its opening weekend, but has also become the focal point of a contentious ‘woke’ debate between prominent figures like Ben Shapiro and Hasan Piker.
The core of the controversy revolves around whether the film’s depiction of conflict between the fictional nations of Boravia and Jarhanpur—where Superman intervenes to prevent the powerful Boravia from invading the defenseless Jarhanpur—serves as a metaphor for the Israel-Gaza conflict. Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker suggested Boravia could represent Israel, citing its military might and U.S. alliance, while comparing its actions to Israel’s campaign in Gaza. This interpretation directly countered conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who dismissed such parallels as ‘left-wing brain’ bias, asserting the movie lacks a specific political agenda.
Director James Gunn has vehemently denied any direct reference to the Middle Eastern conflict, stating he wrote the film before the recent escalation and made efforts to differentiate the fictional setting. However, Gunn admitted the movie possesses political undertones, describing the conflict as an ‘invasion by a much more powerful country run by a despot into a country that’s problematic in terms of its political history, but has totally no defense.’ Film critics, including G. Allen Johnson and William Bibbiani, have nonetheless noted the ‘chilling’ and ‘unavoidable parallels’ to current global realities.
Beyond the Middle East allegory, ‘Superman’ has also faced ‘woke’ accusations from some conservative circles, largely stemming from Gunn’s comments describing Superman as an ‘immigrant that came from other places’ and the character as the ‘story of America.’ Despite these ideological clashes and a recent ‘Superwoke’ chyron on Fox News, the movie has received positive reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and stands as a much-needed box office success for DC Studios, continuing a strong summer performance for the film industry.
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